The Silver Hour
by Primadonna-Girl-With-Bubblegum
Summary: After some very unfortunate events, a young Cosette finds herself out in the woods with baby Gavroche, Azelma and Éponine. With no other place to go to they flee to Paris, where they start a new life in the slums of Saint-Michel. But the world is cruel to a little girl, and Cosette finds that life isn't easy. Will they survive? Eventual É/E and Courfeyrac/Cosette.
1. A Horrifying Accident

**Why would I, a teenage-girl own Les Misérables? I don't, I promise, despite I very much would like to own a certain blond revolutionary…  
First review – a glass of O' boy and a kiss from Enjolras…**

**Oh, I want to say that without reviews, I won't update. So please, tell me whatever you think!**

I

The first thing that Cosette noticed was wrong was the smell of smoke. It sipped into her nostrils and threatened to burn them, and it was with a violent cough that she awoke. Something was very wrong.  
Despite she could not see it yet, she could feel it. Every inch of her being was screaming for her to run, to save herself, but as she didn't know what it was, she stayed in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, her eyes wide and frightened. Was it because she had a nightmare? No, she couldn't had a nightmare, she always remembered them after awaking, and now, she couldn't remember a bad dream at all. Then what was it? Cosette couldn't think of something that in this moment could be wrong. Maybe Gavroche was crying and had awaked her from her light sleep? Cosette listened a long time, but she couldn't hear the sound of a baby's shrill crying.

The second thing she noticed was wrong was the _sight _of smoke. Not much at first; just small whirls of smoke that rose from the floor beneath her, as if the floor was hot and burning. She wrinkled her forehead; what did all of that smoke come from? Maybe a guest that was staying at the inn smoked? No, that could not be, a single pipe couldn't bring that much smoke, it had to be something else. Maybe Madame Thénardier had forgot to put out the fire, and…  
Cosette's eyes visibly widened. It was not Madame Thénardier's job to put out the fire - it was hers! Had he really put out the fire last evening? No, she couldn't remember that she had. Hadn't she been to busy with listen to Madame Thénardier, who had been reading stories for Azelma and Éponine, stories Cosette also wanted to hear? Yes, she had, and, blinded by princes and dragons, she hadn't remembered to put out the fire. And now it was smoking from downstairs.  
_God, no… Dear, god, please no…_

Faster than lightning, Cosette threw her blankets and covers aside and jumped up from her worn mattress. She rushed to the door, her bare feet pounding against the dirty floor, and flung herself at the wood, but the door didn't move. Cosette tried again, thinking that maybe she hadn't been strong enough. The door still didn't move. A horrible realizing dawned itself upon Cosette; Madame Thénardier had locked her in!  
And then, Cosette did the only thing she could think of; she screamed. It was a high and ear-piercing scream that most likely would awake the whole inn, and a few seconds later, she could hear loud footsteps and cursing outside her bedroom door.  
Monsieur Thénardier had really awaked when Cosette screamed, and now, he banged on her door with as much force as he could muster. "What's up now, girl!" he said, voice laced with fury. Cosette trembled with fear. "Why are you screaming?" He racked the door violently. "Tell me!"  
"It's smoking downstairs, choked Cosette. "I don't know what's happening, I forgot to put out the fire and…"  
The door banged open and three seconds later, Cosette found herself dangling in the air.  
"What?" snarled Monsieur Thenardiér. "You damn girl!" He started shaking her so violently Cosette could feel her teeth shatter. "Are you trying to kill us, huh? Answer me! Are you?"  
"I forgot!" sobbed Cosette. "Please, Monsieur, let me go! If it's really a fire, we need to put it out as quickly as possible!"  
Monsieur Thénardier snarled again, and just as Cosette thought he was going to kill her, he racked her into nearest wall. Cosette found her view entirely covered with blinking stars, and somehow, she managed to distinguish Monsieur Thénardier's angry voice followed by the sound of a door being locked. "Don't think I'm letting you out, girl…" The sound of someone stomping down the stairs followed quickly, and, a massive pounding in her head, Cosette fainted.

_-o-_

By the time Cosette found herself awake, she was bathing in flames. They were everywhere, surrounding her, whispering in her ear and licking her dress. She whimpered and tried press herself farther against the wall; as if it would give in and let her out just because of her skinny back. It didn't.  
She was going to die.  
There was no way out of it – her chance was entirely gone now. She was going to die here in this room, barely seven years old. Would someone remember her when she died? Or would she just fade away from history, not even remembered by a single soul?

Cosette could hear baby Gavroche screaming from the nursery a pair of doors away. Outside, she could hear thousands of voices, screaming for water to put the fire out, but Cosette knew it was wasted attempts – not even a hundred of buckets could end this fire now. Somewhere far away, she could hear Monsieur Thénardier barking orders at someone, she could hear Madame Thénardier's shrill crying and even a pair of high bawls, that meant that either Éponine or Azelma was crying too.

Cosette longed after someone that could comfort her in her last moments alive. She longed after her mother; a faceless statue she only knew smelled like lilacs and peonies, longed to say how she loved her and how she wished she was there beside her.

Cosette had closed her eyes, waiting for the flames to swallow her, when suddenly a high, ripping sound made her open her lids, sore from smoke. At one second, the wall behind her was there; glimmering with orange flames, and in the next second, it wasn't. Suddenly she sat in Gavroche's nursery, suddenly she was watching the toddler stop screaming at the sight of a familiar face and stretch out its chubby arms to reach her. Cosette's way was free. In Gavroche's nursery, it wasn't as many flames as in her room; they licked the floor and his door. Despite the almost non-existing flames, thick smoke surrounded her as she quickly made her way farther into the nursery and to Gavroche's crib. Without having time to react, Cosette grabbed the toddler and lifted him up. He immediately became quiet, cooing soft baby words in her ear, which Cosette appreciated much; if he'd continued screaming, she wouldn't be able to focus.

There was only one way out now; the window. Without even thinking, Cosette flung it open. The cold air of dusk was a freeing feeling against her sore skin, and Cosette could've stood there all day if not the flames threatened her from behind.  
So Cosette did the only thing she could think of; she jumped.

Normally, Cosette wouldn't have jumped down from the window in Gavroche's nursery, as it was a far way down to the ground, but now, she didn't have a choice.  
She made sure to hold Gavroche up the whole way, making the risk of him hurting himself almost non-existent.  
And with a bang, she landed on the ground.

**What do you think? Remember, no reviews, no next Chapter ;)**


	2. Dusk

**Thank you all! It was the lucky ConcreteAngelIRoxHerHalo that won a kiss from our dear Enjy, and I have to say; I'm terribly jealous of you! Congratulations dear! Yes, I decided to update today also. Hope you enjoy this.**

Remember: No reviews, no next chapter L

II

Cosette felt like someone had slammed her into a wall repeatedly about ten times. All of her body hurt from the rough landing and beside her, Gavroche was screaming once again. For some moments she laid on the ground panting, trying to regain her breath that she had lost from her fall. Above her she could see flames licking the window of Gavroche's nursery, and she thanked God in a silent praying that they had made it out in time.

When she could breath again, Cosette stood up. As Gavroche's nursery was placed at the backer side of the inn, Cosette had fell straight into the backyard and now lay among Azelma and Éponine's toys. She picked up the screaming Gavroche and tried hush him down. It wasn't very easy when Cosette herself was so frightened her heart was slamming against her ribs, and the toddler continued to screaming no matter what sweet words Cosette whispered in his ear. She knew she had to stop the toddler's cries quickly; because if Madame or Monsieur Thénardier heard him and came rushing to his aid and found Cosette, they would not hesitate to kill her. It was her fault the fire had started and she felt horrible for forgetting to put out the fire.  
To quickly stop Gavroche's cries, she grabbed nearest of the toys that lay spread at the ground beside her and handed it to the screaming baby, who almost immediately stopped screaming. It happened to be one of Azelma's many dolls. Cosette could remember Azelma hadn't played with this for more than three days before she had grown tired of it and bawled after a new doll, which Madame Thénardier had bought her almost immediately. When Cosette had looked at the doll's red locks and long lashes, she hadn't understood how Azelma could grow tired of it so quickly.

The fire above her roaring, Cosette felt that she couldn't stay here for much longer. Her life at the inn had been over in the same moment she had forgot to put out the fire, and now it was time for her to start a new life. She gave the toddler in her arms a musing glance. Could she leave him here? Maybe either one of the Thénardiers or a nice stranger picked him up and took care of him? In the same moment the thoughts crossed her mind Cosette felt disgusted with herself. The Thénardiers had never really cared about their youngest child; when Madame Thénardier had found out she was expecting another child she had been disgusted, and when the mentioned child was born and turned out to be a skinny and fragile boy that screamed like a drowning cat, it didn't make her to like him more.  
No, Cosette couldn't expect the Thénardiers to take care of the boy. It was best that he came with her, so Cosette could be sure he at least had someone that loved him.

Cosette looked at the burning house. A strange feeling of that all of her memories was burning down there inside gripped her, and her eyes began to water (if it was from the smoke or her feels she did not know). And thus, she made a decision.

_-o-_

The woods seemed darker than usual. The trees looked like they wanted to swallow Cosette and Gavroche whole and Cosette felt as if someone followed them, but every time she turned around, no one was to be seen.  
She walked for what felt like hours. Soon, the trees became unfamiliar and threatening, and Gavroche began to grow tired of just sitting in her arms. He had lost the doll somewhere on their way and wanted something to do, but no matter how much he squirmed, Cosette didn't let him down to walk on his own; it felt as if as long she had her arms around him, nothing could hurt them.

The sun rose behind the horizon and made the treetops sparkle in golden orange and pink. Suddenly, the ground against Cosette's bare feet felt softer, suddenly, the birds began to sing and the whole world changed. It gave Cosette new powers to walk with, and she cooed softly to the toddler in her arms the whole way. Gavroche was currently playing with the dirty locks of her hair when they Cosette finally decided they would make a stop. She sat down on the ground, pushed her sweaty hair out of her eyes and gave a deep sigh. Gavroche, happy that they finally had stopped, began giggling and cooing, cheering Cosette up as well.  
It was first now, when sitting down, Cosette realized she was so tired she could sleep for a week. Her stubborn eyelids kept drooping and Cosette wanted nothing more than a little catnap, but she was afraid what Gavroche might do when she was sleeping so she made her legs to stand and after picking up Gavroche again, they began to walk.

It seemed like forever. Soon the light rays of the morning sun was gone and left was only the frying mid-day rays. Sweat began to pour off the young girl as she struggled her way through the woods, and overcome with exhaustion, she finally collapsed by a small river. Gavroche was by this time sleeping soundly, and Cosette felt bad to wake him for drink a little water. He soon fell asleep again, and Cosette could sit by the river, bath her feet and drink as much water as she wanted. She even took the luxury of undressing and taking a bath; but as the water was ice cold she didn't bath for long. The young lark felt overcome with exhaustion and when she had dressed herself in her torn dress, she placed Gavroche against a tree (so he wouldn't fall into the river by accident), curled up next to him and fell asleep.

When she awoke it was almost dusk. An adequate painting of red and orange splashed the sky and made the dark green treetops look even darker. Cosette stretched out her skinny arms with a huge yawn.  
"Come on, Gavroche," she cooed softly. "It's time for us to go now."

But when she was about to grab Gavroche, she found that he was gone.

**Yes, I know, I know, cliffy ****_and _****a short chapter… I'll make it up to you the next chapter, if you'll get a next chapter... **

**I almost went beside myself by all the reviews I got for last chapter.  
Shall we see if we can beat seven reviews this time? Remember; no reviews, no next chapter XD **


	3. Meetings

**Thank you all for your darling reviews ;) I apologize for not updating for a long time; my life has simply been very busy, and today is not different – three performances to attend to! Holy cow… I also feel very sorry for not being able to answer personally to all of your reviews, but… My life simply has been busy ;)  
No reviews, no next chapter…**

III

_Gavroche was gone…_  
Cosette's heart slammed against her ribs so hard she was afraid they might break from the impact. "Gavroche?" she whispered again in a tremulous voice. "Where are you?"  
In that moment Cosette wanted nothing more than hear a soft cooing, but after a pair of long seconds filled with only the loud sound of her heartbeat, she gave up the little hope that had gathered in her heart.  
"Gavroche!" she shouted. "Gavroche!"

Nothing. The woods remained quiet. The trees, sparkling in a golden light, gave a soft sigh.  
Fear gripped the little girl. She was all on her own in the dark woods with no living thing. Despite that Gavroche barely could speak properly he had been some kind of sociable comfort and Cosette had not felt just as afraid as she did now.

What if some kind of predator had gotten him? Maybe a horrifying creature, not human nor animal, maybe a werewolf?

She needed to find Gavroche. _This instant._

-o-

The night fell crept upon her like a stalking predator; silent but sure. Soon the woods were not comfortable to be in anymore, and Cosette's eyes kept flickering around; searching for something that maybe followed her. Every now and then, the little lark thoughts she heard the sound of footsteps behind her, but every time she turned around there was not a single soul to be seen.

Cosette didn't know how long she had walked. As it was in the middle of June and the nights were short and light she had absolutely no idea of what time it was, but the air was chilly, so she knew that the Thénardiers had gone to sleep by now if they had been at the inn. Her empty stomach screeched with hunger, but Cosette had been hungry before and had no need of taking a break or eat. Besides, where would she find food? Anything in these woods could be poisonous.

She had almost lost hope of finding Gavroche, when a loud and shrill cry cut through the dark trees. Cosette's gaze, sunken to the dark floor of the forest with a defeated look, travelled up with a hopeful gaze. "Gavroche?"

She quietened, listening once again. And yes, there it was again; the sounds of a toddler's shrill crying. It was loud and painful and made Cosette, who had a very parental nature even at age six, almost trip over her skirts in her desperate attempt to reach her little friend. "Gavroche!"  
She ran blindly and if it had been a dark winter-night, she had fell tripped over both sticks and stones; but as the sky still was light, she could see everything that lay before her, even though it blurred together by the speed of her strides. Every now and then, she screamed Gavroche's name so loudly her voice became hoarse. The toddler answered with loud cries and Cosette ran even faster, her mind going through a lot of different scenarios.

When Gavroche's mop of blond hair came into view, Cosette finally slowed down. She was panting hard by now and her heart was beating harder than before. She was just about to run to the toddler when a voice interrupted her. Out of pure reflex, Cosette dove down into nearest bush and silently cursed herself for her frightened nature.  
"Hurry up, 'Zelma! I heard footsteps… Someon' migh' com' for us soon…"  
Cosette's eyerbrows almost disappeared as she felt her heart sink.  
_God no… Please, dear God…_

As she looked up her suspicions immediately were confirmed; beside Gavroche sat Azelma and Éponine, but they didn't look like them. If Cosette4 hadn't heard Éponine's hoarse voice, she would've thought it was a pair of ghosts; both were covered from head to toe in grime. Their fine dresses were ripped and black, and their hair did not hang in its usual curls – it looked almost like as if someone had smeared it with butter.  
"I'm tired, 'Ponine…" bawled Azelma, one finger drawing cats in the grime on her dress. "Can't we jus' rest for a while?"  
Éponine shot her sister an angry look. "Rest? _Here_? Have you gone mad? We'll destroy our dresses…"  
Azelma bawled again, tears springing out from under the grime. "Bu' I'm so tired, ´Ponine…"  
At the sight of someone else crying, Gavroche also started sniffing, but he was quickly silenced by Éponine. "Shu´up, you pig."

And then, Cosette couldn't take it anymore. She rose from the bush and gave the other girls an angry gaze. "Stop it!"  
Éponine's face, scrunched up in surprise, quickly widened in a sneer. "Well, well… Isn't it our dear _lark_...?"

**I know, short…**

No reviews, no next chapter ;)


	4. Mademoiselle Joan

**I feel so bad for not updating L  
The reasons why I've not is simply that I went to London for a pretty long time (I was back home first by 11.50 pm yesterday…).  
But I'm back ;)  
By the way, I was at the Queen's theatre in West End and saw Les Misérables. IT WAS AMAZING! I lovedlovedlovedlovedloved Anton Zetterholm as Enjolras… seems like you've gotten yourself a concurrent, Aaron ;)**

Do you want a next chapter? Then please, please, PLEASE review. I love hearing what you think and if no one reviews I can't. If all the story followers should review, I would get eight reviews each chapter…

Warnings for this chapter: except for Éponine and Azelma being horrible bullies, there are none.

IV

Cosette was very close to flinch away from Éponine but somehow managed to stop herself from doing so; she could not be weak in front of the stronger girls.  
"Stop," she repeated. Éponine gave Azelma an amused look before bursting out in a horrible hoarse laughter. The little lark certainly gave an amusing picture where she stood, her body covered in grime and leaves, her knuckles white from squeezing them hard against her sides and her skinny features lit up with a flaming rage!  
"Has the little lark found _her voice_?" Éponine chirped (as good as can be chirped with such a hoarse voice as hers). She had no idea what the sentence _found its voice _meant, but her mother used to say that and Éponine thought it sounded like a sentence in a fairytale.  
_  
Her mother._

Éponine would never admit it willingly, but at the thought of her mother her eyes almost filled with tears. Her lovely mother with her trinkets, the sound of her bracelets clinking together and the smell of her perfume, her voice when reading tales for her little girls… Everything seemed like the most beautiful things in the world to the little girl now, even though her mother's bracelets were stolen from guests at their inn and her perfume was a cheap mixture of wildflowers and something Éponine could not tell.

Azelma's loud howl of laughter woke Éponine up from her thoughts.

"Yes," the younger girl cooed, "have you found your voice, _petite alouette?_"  
Cosette gave the girls a weak glance of fury but they could see tears brimming in her blue eyes.  
"Where did you find him?" she said, but the girls took no notice of her; they both tuned up in a horribly off key version of their mother's favourite song to taunt Cosette with;  
_  
Petite alouette  
Ne peut pas voler  
De ailes sont trop petites  
Ne peut pas marcher…_

At the sound of their shrill and hoarse voices, Cosette somehow managed to resist the urge of putting her hands over her ears. Gavroche began to bawl loudly but when Cosette tried run to him, Azelma flung out an arm and took a firm hold of Cosette's small body. She locked hands with her big sister and they began dancing around her, both voices triumphantly singing _Petite Alouette _over and over again.  
Tears were by now streaming freely down Cosette's face. Somehow she managed to hear the girls' cackling laughter and Gavroche's horrible screams before falling to the floor in a sickly heap. The young lark was exhausted with hunger – she had not eaten since that fateful night at the inn – and her worry about Gavroche had made her tired to her very core.

Cosette's vision became more and more blurry by the second and in her last moments of consciousness she tried reach Gavroche with one hand – but then her eyes rolled back and her hand fell to the floor with a dull thud.

_-o-_

The next time Cosette woke, a face looked at her from above. Even though the face was blurry, she managed to distinguish a pair of red cheeks and a long braid before her vision disappeared again.

Angels danced around her. They were all dressed in white attires and their halos shone golden and strong. Some of them played on strange musical instruments, some of them sang – each of them same song;

_Petite alouette  
Ne peut pas voler  
De ailes sont trop petites  
Ne peut pas marcher…_

They danced by themselves; everyone held its own white attire up from the top of the clouds and made pirouettes until Cosette felt dizzy. And then, an angel suddenly began screaming that a fire was going.

Chaos ensured. All angels began rushing and flying in every direction, like lost pigeons, all determined to keep away from the orange flames that would lick their wings if they didn't get away soon enough.

And then, just as the flames were swallowing a screaming angel, Cosette awoke for real.

_-o-_

"She is awake! Alexandre, come here, quickly!"  
Cosette's eyelids fluttered open. For a moment the blue orbs searched the small room in which she lay before they widened in surprise and the little girl bent forward, a hand quickly flying up to cover her mouth.

The woman beside her (why was she there?) quickly reacted and managed to find an old wooden bucket. In a matter of seconds, Cosette somehow held in the bucket and let her stomach empty itself on the little content it held.  
A hand calmly rubbed her back and whispered soothing words in her ear, as Cosette's stomach finally could let out no more.

The woman beside her got up from the bed Cosette now noticed she was laying on and handed the bucket to a man that stood by the door with an awkward look under the wild beard that was his face.  
"Empty it, will you?" The woman said. The man nodded, taking the bucket, and disappeared. Cosette suspected that he was happy to get out from here.

The woman patted Cosette's head one last time before raising herself from the edge of the bed. Cosette gave her a wondering glance as she handed Cosette a glass of water and told her to drink and that she would be back soon.

Cosette drank willingly. The water was not the best, warm and a bit sticky, but it was water and Cosette was so thirsty that it for her tasted like the sweetest honey.  
When she was finished, Cosette placed the glass on the old wooden table at her bedside and had a closer look at the room she was in.

It seemed as if she was in a small cottage somewhere. The room was nothing posh; the only nice decorations were a bouquet of pink and orange wildflowers. The room was badly lit – the windows were full of dirt and grit and one could not see the outside very well – and yet she was sure that it was sometime in the late afternoon.

The door opened and the woman stood in front of her again. She was wearing a simple blue dress and a pair of old clogs that certainly had seen better days. Her hair was braided in a fashion Cosette had seen at many of the guests at the inn – around her hair as if it was a crown. She was not married, Cosette could see, as she didn't wear something to cover her hair.

The woman watched her as if she was waiting for something and that somehow gave Cosette courage enough to ask the only question that was gathering in her mind;

"Sorry if I sound rude, but who are you?"  
The woman gave a smile. "You're not rude, dear. I'm Joan. And you are the little lark."  
Cosette blushed and nodded. "Yes. Where am I?"  
"You're in my and my brother's cottage. Do not fret, for no one can find you here; you're deep in the woods."  
Cosette nodded. "I won't fret," she lied. "Are there another pair of girls here, as well as a little boy, Mademoiselle?"  
Mademoiselle Joan nodded. "Yes. They are currently taking a bath. God knows that the girls needed that – covered in grit from head to toe!" She shook her head as Cosette felt her heart sink.  
"Those fine dresses of theirs were all ruined. And their hats too… How rude they were! They refused to bath, said that they needed some kind of fancy _oil_!"

Cosette forced a smile before asking,  
"And the boy?"  
"Sleeping. Was almost unable to get to stop crying at first..."  
Cosette felt her eyes brim with tears. Poor little Gavroche!  
"Was he alright?"  
"Yes, yes. I managed to get him eat a little when he had finally stopped crying. He did – but just a little - and talked with the goat before falling asleep…"

Despite herself, Cosette smiled and was just about to say something when a loud growling from her stomach interrupted her. Blushing, she tried to hide the sound, but Mademoiselle Joan just laughed.

"Oh, it's quite all right, dear. I'll prepare something for you – you must be starved! I should've thought of that!" She slapped her forehead before lifting Cosette up from the bed without a second thought.  
"Come on."

_-o-_

The food was not the finest food one could eat; just a simple oatmeal graced with some blueberries, but Cosette thought it nice enough. In a corner of the small kitchen, Gavroche lay sleeping with a small white goat beside him.

Cosette ate from the oatmeal and laughed happily with mademoiselle Joan. Later, the man (whom Mademoiselle Joan called her brother Alexandre) that had emptied Cosette's bucket also appeared and sat down for a meal. At first, Cosette felt uncomfortable with him, but that feeling disappeared as soon as she noticed that he didn't talk much but had a nice smile.  
Cosette was just beginning to think that nothing could ruin her happy mood now, when a shrill voice could be heard;

"Where are my clothes?"  
They all turned around and saw an angry Éponine standing in a much too big dress that looked as if Mademoiselle Joan had borrowed it to her.

"Oh," giggled Mademoiselle Joan, "that one! I've thrown it out."  
Èponine stared at her with a look of disbelieve. "What?"  
"It was so dirty, dear. I couldn't have it in here – it smelled as if you had lit it on fire and then held rotten eggs on it."  
Éponine let out a howl of rage. "My dress!" She roared. "I wan' my dress back! Where is it? Give it to me!"  
Mademoiselle Joan flinched away from the raging girl. "I can't do that!" she said. "It's gone! I threw it in the lake!"  
Éponine looked as if she was ready to kill the poor Mademoiselle Joan out of pure rage as her nostrils slowly flared. "You _whore_!"

Mademoiselle Joan gasped and flinched away from Éponine as her face visibly paled.  
"What?" she said, as if she couldn't believe what Éponine just had uttered.  
Éponine didn't hesitate at all. _"You damn bitch! You whore!"  
_  
Cosette had no idea what the word _whore _meant, but as Madame Thénardier often had used it to describe her mother she knew that it was not something good.  
Éponine continued screaming at Mademoiselle Joan, who was pale and looked disbelieving at the little girl, until the sound of a hard slap sounded and Éponine quietened before bursting out in a high bawl.

Alexandre slowly lowered his hand and glanced at Éponine with an angry look.  
"You won't ever call her that again. Never."  
Éponine continued wailing before glaring daggers at Mademoiselle Joan.  
"I'll call her whatever I wants."  
"Whatever I _want_," piped a new voice in. Cosette turned around and her heart dropped once again at the sight of Azelma.  
"Not whatever I _wants_."  
Éponine continued sobbing in a hoarse voice, one hand pressing rubbing her sore cheek.

Mademoiselle Joan gave Alexandre a gaze that did not betray any of her emotions in that moment, before turning to Azelma and Éponine (whose eyes she did not meet) and telling them to sit down for a meal.

_-o-_

The meal was horrible. Éponine and Azelma were refusing to eat any of the oatmeal that Mademoiselle Joan had prepared for them; they simply sat staring at their bowls with a look of pure disgust. Or, at least Éponine did, but when Azelma's hunger became unbearable she hesitantly took a first spoonful and slowly swallowed it. After earning a smug gaze from Mademoiselle Joan, Azelma happily continued eat and after hesitating a while even daring have a chat with Alexandre.

Éponine, however, continued sitting with her arms crossed, refusing to eat, and a sour look on her face.  
When Mademoiselle Joan announced that they would sleep here tonight, Éponine had only eaten about three spoonfuls.

_-o-  
_"Can I stay here?"

The little lark's voice was blurry with sleep in the dark room. Mademoiselle Joan, on her way to blow out the candle, stopped and gave the almost sleeping child a surprised look.  
"Here?"  
Cosette nodded. "Yes. Where else will I live?"  
Mademoiselle Joan became quiet for a while before replying,  
"I do not know, dear."

Cosette's breathing stopped. "When will you know?"  
"I will speak to Alexandre." A pause. "I will know by tomorrow morning."  
"For real?"  
"Yes. Now sleep."

The candle was blown out and in the pressing darkness Cosette soon fell asleep.

_-o-_

"Wake up."  
Cosette's eyelids fluttered before opening fully. "Where am I?"  
"You are with my brother and me. Do you truly not remember?"  
Cosette glanced at the woman in front of her and suddenly, everything that happened yesterday came rushing back to her.  
"Mademoiselle Joan! Now I remember! Have you… have you made your mind up yet?"  
Mademoiselle Joan closed her eyes. "I am so very sorry, dear heart. You are going to Paris."

**Once again, Sorry. ****Five reviews means next chapter!**


	5. Paris

**Thank you. Sorry for the late update. FROM NOW, I'LL UPDATE ONCE A WEEK, ON SATURDAYS!**

**No reviews – no next chapter ;)**

V**  
****  
**The crystal morning air was cold on Cosette's face, still warm from sleep, when she sat in the small carriage, provisionally placed on a small piece of wood that precisely fit her small body. Mademoiselle Joan's scarf that she had borrowed to her fluttered in the morning breeze as Cosette watched Mademoiselle Joan and Alexandre harnessing the old brown mare to the even older carriage. Mademoiselle Joan refused to meet her gaze and Cosette found herself missing the pair of blue eyes.

Éponine sat beside her, arms crossed over her chest.  
"I don' understand," a small whisper broke in. Éponine turned around and faced her little sister, looking like a ghost with her gloomy cheeks and too big dress that really did not fit her body.

"What don' you understand?" Éponine sounded annoyed as Azelma swallowed a bit.  
"Why we must go. Why can't we stay here?"  
"Because they don' want us to. Now shu' up."  
Azelma pouted and gave Éponine an angry gaze. "It's your fault that they don' want us here. Why did you have to be angry with her for throwing out your dress…?"

"Girls, quiet!" Barked mademoiselle Joan as she pushed some of her weed blond strands from her face and gave Gavroche to Alexandre, who placed him in Cosette's lap.  
"I can't think!"_  
_  
Azelma pouted at Éponine once again before starting to ask Alexandre a lot of questions. Éponine rolled her eyes and took the opportunity to glare at Cosette too.

They were finished too soon.

Too soon stood the old horse (Victorie, they called her) ready to go, and too soon had Mademoiselle Joan kissed them all goodbye, too soon sat Alexandre ready with the reins in his hand.

_-o-_

They rode in silence. It was not before they had got out on the bigger and dustier road and the summer sun shone strong at their heads that Cosette dared to put the question that had burned holes in her brain into words,

"What are we going to do in Paris?"  
Alexandre did not turn to face her but kept his eyes on the never ending, dusty road before them.  
"You are going to live there now," he told her and Cosette felt her heart sink.

"In Paris?" Éponine's voice was shrill now. "Bu' mom told me tha' there is dirty and dark and, and, and…"  
"Paris will be perfect." But something in Alexandre's voice told Cosette the opposite, and that frightened her.

_-o-_

Silence lapsed again as Cosette watched the surroundings fade away for a long time until Victorie was so tired they had to stop. By now, it was late in the afternoon and the summer sun was not burning just as hot as earlier. Cosette removed Mademoiselle Joan's scarf from her sweaty neck and lay down to rest while Alexandre started digging in an old bag.

He found what he was searching, for which was a long strip of dried and salted meat, and handed some small bites to the girls and Gavroche. Cosette was relieved to see Éponine accepting without a snarky comment but only an expression of dislike as she slowly chewed on the meat.

"When will we be in Paris?" Azelma asked. Éponine shot her a look of hatred.  
"Sto´ talking with food in your mouth, stupid."  
Azelma swallowed, stuck her tongue out at her sister and looked expectantly at Alexandre.

"I do not know," he said. "There is a long way to Paris. First, we need to ride through Montreuil and from there…"  
Cosette stopped chewing for a moment. The name Montreuil felt familiar, but she could not place where from she had heard the name.

"Montreuil?" asked Azelma. "What's tha'?"  
"Montreuil sur Mer," explained Alexandre.  
"Ah." Azelma sounded delighted. "Is it by the sea?"  
Alexandre shook his head. "Yes, it is. But it is a far way. I had hoped that we could take the way through Montreuil (Azelma looked confused) as it is closer to Paris, but as there are many robbers there we can't."  
"But you said…"  
"We are going through _Montreuil sur Mer_." Alexandre sounded tired. "Not _Montreuil _but Montreuil sur Mer."  
"Ah." Azelma nodded.

_-o-  
_  
There was a very long way to Montreuil sur Mer, Alexandre thought, at least a four weeks travel – and the way back to Paris, too...

The more he thought of it, the more ridiculous it sounded that they even were shipping of the girls and the boy to Paris in the first place. He did not say anything to the girls about the length of the travel, as he knew it was a very great deal of a detour. But he had no intention of being robbed.

He decided that he should drive the night through and then stop by in Saint-Witz and sleep at some inn, because he had money to perhaps ten nights at an inn for them all. Then, when they were all spent, he would decide what to do next.

_Yes._

He nodded to himself as the salt from the dried meat slowly spread in his mouth.

_They would take the way to Montreuil sur Mer._

-o-

When Cosette awoke, it was because Alexandre stood beside her and shook Éponine awake. She could hear laughter and cheers coming from somewhere beside her and somewhere in her blurred vision, a light took shape.  
"Where are we?" Her voice was sleepy and almost sad when she noticed that she was not with Mademoiselle Joan but on her way to Paris.  
"We are in the village Saint-Witz. We are sleeping here tonight."

"Is it close to Mont… Mont…"  
"Montreuil sur Mer," Alexandre helped her tiredly as Éponine slapped his hand away in an attempt to get him to stop try to wake her.  
"Yes, Mont sur Mer." Cosette's cheeks reddened. "Is it?"  
Alexandre sighed. "No."

Cosette's shoulders slumped.

_-o-_

The bed at the inn was not very comfortable and he could almost feel the lice creeping in under his collar, but as Alexandre lay in it and listened to the sound of the children's soft breathing, he thought nothing could be better. It had only cost him nine francs, too.

To put it short, he felt satisfied with himself. But he missed his sister and wished that she could have come with them too, but she had been frightened that maybe some robbers would plunder the house if she were gone so she had stayed behind.

He tried not thinking about tomorrow or the next three weeks as he fell asleep.

_-o-_

The next day, they slept in Clermont, the next in Breteuil. Cosette had almost begun to feel familiar with the life on the road by now. Paris was a distant thought, and Alexandre had assured her that one of his dear friends Roselyne would take care of them when they arrived. Roselyn was a young woman without any children of her own, so she had been delighted when Alexandre had written to her and asked if she had place for four children to live.

No, Cosette did not worry about anything. She longed after seeing the sea once again, because when she was younger and had lived with her mother, they had lived by the sea. She felt perfectly calm when thinking about the future.

If she knew what was about to come, she would not have thought about it as calmly as she did.

_-o-  
_  
It had been the end of June when they had left Mademoiselle Joan's little house. It was the middle of August when they arrived to Montreuil-sur-Mer – and the way back to Paris was almost longer.

On the way, Azelma had begun warming up to Cosette a bit – even though Éponine still was cold and snarky towards the lark. All children (except for Gavroche, his had such a fair complexion) had gotten nice tans on their body and being out in the fresh air had made Cosette stronger and happier. Without the Thénardiers watching her every step, she had nothing to be afraid of.

Montreuil sur Mer was a small city. Not a village – a city. Cosette had never seen so many beggars at one and the same place, and the houses stood close to each other. The sea had a constant presence and the dark water both frightened and thrilled the lark to no end.

When first arriving to Montreuil sur Mer, there had been a man. A very strange man – dressed in fine clothes made of fabric Cosette would not even dare to touch, but with a strange expression on his slightly wrinkled face. He had been driving a carriage, this fine gentleman sitting on the driver's seat himself, but had stopped to shout;  
"Do monsieur know the way to Montfermeil?" when he had seen them.

Alexandre had looked surprised but had answered friendly, and the man had barely had time to thank him before he had smacked hard with his lash and then pulled away. They had all (but Éponine, of course…) stared after him with surprised expressions before they had driven towards nearest inn.

_-o-  
_  
I am certain, dear reader, that you know who this man was. It was the prisoner 24601, aka Jean Valjean or monsieur Madeleine, who was on his way to fetch a young prostitute's daughter from an inn in Montfermeil.

Little did he know that he had seen her barely a few minutes before, that little blonde that had sat beside the man on the driver's seat was her – Cosette.  
Jean Valjean rode through the night. He did not care to stop until his horse almost collapsed from exhaustion – and then to change him.

It took seven weeks for Jean Valjean to reach Montfermeil, because he had stopped at least nine times and one time staying in one week from a broken leg (a fall from the horse the cause of that…)

By this time, the Thénardiers had followed Cosette's example and fled to Paris. Despite their loss of their three children, Madame Thénardier was expecting another when they left the small village and headed towards Paris.

Jean Valjean came too late. When arriving in Montfermeil, he had asked for the way to the inn but the man he had asked had given him a strange look before pointing north and saying that it was that way.

It was ashes. A pair of black pillars marked the place where it once had been, and the only thing remaining of the things inside was the porcelain head of a doll. Valjean had fell to his knees and cried for the first time in many years, because he had _lost her without actually seeing her_.

He had been too late.

_-o-_

Cosette did not lay among the ashes. In the same moment Valjean was crying into the porcelain doll's face's empty smile, she was by Paris Northern Port.

It was the end of October when Paris welcomed Cosette into its cold and cruel world. But for Cosette, everything seemed as if in a dream. She could see a perfectly white tower – no, two beside each other (she would later get to know that those two _towers_ actually were called the Cathedral of Notre Dame.)

She could see that the houses had a strange shape – sticking close together. They were so _big_! And there were so many lights! Lights everywhere, but not that much that she could not see the stars shining above her head.

Cosette felt as if she was in a dream. Her naïve eyes did not notice the beggars and the prostitutes or the poor children that all huddled together by every wall of the houses – they only noticed Paris beauty.  
And yes – Paris was a beautiful city. During the springtime, when the flowers sprung and the grass was green, it was beautiful. It was beautiful when the lights were mirrored by the nervous waves of the Seine and some thought it beautiful every time of the year.

But Paris was a dangerous city too. Even more so for a girl who was not even ten years old, a girl who also had a toddler to care for.

_-o-_

Alexandre left them at a café – Musain he told them that its name was, because none of the children could yet decipher the golden letters that were placed above the doorpost.

He kissed them goodbye – even though Azelma blushed and Éponine snorted. Then he straightened the blue scarf around Cosette's neck that Mademoiselle Joan had given her before turning to a round woman with nice eyes but a watchful eye and asking her to look for the children until Roselyne appeared.

That was the only goodbye, and in Cosette's mind he would remain that way – young and beautiful with an awkward smile and a lean body. She did not know that he would die just three months later from suffering from cholera, because in her mind he and Mademoiselle Joan were immortal.

And later she would hate them both because of that had left them there in Paris.

But for now, she waved goodbye to him and cried into the watchful woman's arms as he disappeared.

_-o-_

They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Two days passed by.

Mademoiselle Roselyne never appeared.

**There you go!**

**Seven reviews means next chapter on Saturday. No reviews, no chapter at all… ;)**


End file.
